Would Knees on the Ground Neutralize "Lay and Pray"? Maybe It's Not That Simple... But Maybe It Is.

I admit, I’m a pretty big fan of online blogs. I read a lot of them with regularity, especially MMA-related ones. When doing my daily scouring of information, I came across this one blog post on MMA Mania, from one of its more controversial members. To summarize, the user is advocating that we allow the use of knees to the head of a grounded opponent in American Mixed Martial Arts in order to neutralize the dreaded “lay and pray” tactic. And the more and more I think about this, fans and friends, the more and more I agree with it. Here are my thoughts on this somewhat-controversial matter.

I’d like to get one thing clear before we even get started: I’m not one of those fans that think all wrestling-based MMA fighters are nothing but stall artists, or that the channel needs to be changed whenever a fight goes to the ground. I can appreciate a good and active ground game; I even look forward to it on several occasions. Remember, Jon Fitch is one of my favorite fighters.

But I have no problem admitting that there are some fighters that simply refuse to work after they get their takedown. It certainly seems like more and more fighters are adopting these “lay and pray” tactics nowadays, but in all honesty, this has been a persistent problem for quite some time now. Some fighters just won’t give up a dominant position no matter what, even if it brings the fight to a grinding halt. And nothing says “stay active” quite like having your skull cracked by your opponent’s knee.

Allowing knees on the ground helps level the playing field for fighters that spend most of the fight doing little else other than blocking takedowns. It gives striking-based fighters a real chance on the ground, and allows the fight to remain exciting as well as active. It will also force wrestlers to make sure they complete their takedowns and don’t just hold their positions in order to score points and burn through the clock.

Knees on the ground would even help dominant wrestlers stay active. It will give wrestlers an entirely new series of strikes to test out: the kind of power strikes that can and have finished fights in the past. Let’s be honest here: it takes two to tango, and a fighter on the bottom that does nothing but block punches and stall until the fight is stood back up can be just as boring as a fighter that lands pitter-patter shots just to make sure the fight stays on the ground. If a fighter isn’t doing anything except covering up, a big knee right to his head will provide the clearest wake-up call imaginable.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating knees to the back of the head. If this rule is implemented, it will have to be monitored closely. And the Unified Rules do contain a clear description of what constitutes the front of and the back of the head. It will be up to the fighters and the referees to ensure that these rules are followed.

But I think it’s too broad a generalization to say that knees to the head of a grounded opponent would be unsafe. So long as the fighters are precise and the referees know what they’re doing, everyone should be fine. Well, maybe not “fine”, but at the very least, a errant knee to the head of a grounded opponent would pose no more risk than a strike that goes awry and accidentally clips the back of an opponent’s head. Mistakes will happen, sure. But in the end, I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

I know this probably won’t happen, but still, I think this idea does have merit. If it’s properly monitored and effectively utilized, allowing knees on the ground would be an excellent way to encourage fighters to remain active and dangerous for the majority of their fight, and not slip into the “lay and pray” tactics that entertain no one and draw the ire of many.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on the matter? And if it’s not knees on the ground, what other rule modifications or new rules do you think would help deter fighters who “lay and pray”?